When you run a business, you naturally at some point you realise you need to invest in some professional photos. But what do you really need and why?
Wherever you live, I’m sure there is an abundance of photographers you could work with. And everyone has different offers so before you pick your photographer, it will be very handy for you to know what you actually need.
So let me shed some lights on what kind of images you can get from a band photoshoot and how they will help your business.
7 brand photos every business needs
Investing in a branding photo session can be quite daunting. The thought of being in front of the camera to start with, is usually very intimidating. But there’s also the whole aspect of knowing what you want and need.
Depending on what stage in your business you are, some images are a must, others want or need. However, any photo you’ll use for your business should be reflective of you as a person, your values, your brand and speak to your ideal client or customer.
That’s a lot to ask from a single image. Which is why one photo will usually not be enough. And that’s where brand photo sessions come in.
When you pick your brand photographer, they will most likely ask you about your business and what you need these images for. Based on the information you provide, they will be able to make suggestions on what you need and where those images could be useful.
So let’s have a look at what a brand photoshoot can include. Here are 7 branding photos that’ll help build your brand, represent your business and connect with your customers.
1. Professional headshots
Headshots can sound very dull, sterile and corporate. But that’s not what they need to look like.
A headshot is a portrait of you, including your head and upper body. That’s literally what it is.
Where these photos will be taken and what you wear can be as colourful or monochrome as you’d like. There’s no hard rule for this.
Your headshot is usually the one you’d use for your social media profiles. That means your face needs to be clearly visible, with little to no distraction in the background so you stand out and are easy to recognise.
If you have very distinct brand colours, those can either feature in the background, like a plan colourful wall, or in your clothing. It doesn’t have to though!
Especially as a small business, being recognisable is important. We want to know the face behind a brand, so don’t hide behind your logo. Instead, use a headshot that looks like you and is easy to spot across platforms.
These headshots are part of every one of my 3 branding packages. They are a staple of your branding photoshoot so I make sure I include these images every time.
2. Portraits and lifestyle shots
Now that the formal headshots are done, we can go a bit more freestyle. That’s when we take some portraits and lifestyle photos of you. It’s important to show that you’re more than just a business name and a logo.
Lifestyle photos can be in a variety of settings. You could get images of your hobby, reading a book on the couch, exploring your neighbourhood, going for a coffee, dipping your toes in the sea. There is no limit as to what can be included. Even your partner, your kids or your dog can feature in these photos.
These images are there to build a stronger connection to your audience by showing them more of who you are.
These photos are usually part of my 2 longer sessions – the half-day branding and the full-day branding. Depending on your needs and how much effort it is to create these lifestyle shots of you, they can be part of your min branding session which is an hour-long shoot.
3. Photos of you at work
What is that thing you do? And which invisible tasks behind that define your working day?
Whether you’re a photographer, a personal trainer, a coach or a web developer. Part of your session will include how you do the thing you’re selling. That can be making the chocolate, teaching a thing or it can be admin work, taking notes and doing research, preparing kit or other preparation that your clients might not be aware of.
The reason these images are useful is to show what goes into your offers. It also helps humanise your business when you use those images across your website to showcase how you work and give people a peek behind the scenes. We love finding out what you do in order to create, produce or develop your product or service.
A mixture of close-ups, details and wide shots will provide a nice range of images to showcase you and your work.
These images will always be included in all my branding sessions. They are incredibly important for your business.
4. Your products or services in action
It seems obvious, but you need to show what you’re selling.
Do you work with clients in-person or online? Do you make things? Whatever your offers are, through photos we can show your audience what it looks like to be on the other side of them.
If you make beauty products, apart from showing what they look like, we can create images of them in use by yourself, a client or a friend.
As a consultant or coach, it might be harder to visualise what you’re doing but if you have handouts or maybe a book, this should be part of your session. Whatever it is you offer, all the different stages of that thing, can and should be part of your photo shoot.
These images will not just work well on your social feed, they also make it really obvious on your website what it is that you do and what your clients and customers get from you.
Again, these images are part of all of my different session types, depending on your product or service. While my shortest package is only 1 hour, there’s limited time to cover all